Process of purifying gas.



N01 850,680. PATENTED APR. 16, 1907.

G. G. SMITH.

PROCESS OF PURIFYING GAS.

APPLICATION FILED DIE-0.12, 1901.

I 1m.- Gbbayc rxyor 5' 'Q 50 be drawn oil from GEORGE GREGORY SMITH, OF FLORENCE, ITALY.

PROCESS OF PURIFYING GAS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April is, 1907.

Original application filed December 17. 1900, Serial No- 40,127. Divided and this application filed December 12, 1901. Serial i No. 85,545.

new and useful Improvements in Processes of Purifying Gas, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the process of purifying gas, and has for its object to provide a no system of removing from acetylene and other gases the moisture and impurities carried thereby.

Another object of the invention is the pnrification of gas and passing the gas from the purifier in a clean, dry, and uninterrupted manner.

Another object of the invention is the purifying of gas and the automatical purging of the purifier of the impurities removed from the gas.

In carrying out my invention I pass the gas through a closed chamber containing a liquid of greater specific gravity than the gas and of less specific gravity than the moisture 2 5 and impurities carried by the gas. A suitable oil may be employed, and a liquid which has no affinity for the gas which is being purified will produce good results. For the sake, of economy a liquid may be used which has no 3 chemical ai'finity for the impurities carried by the gas.

I have found that liquid Vaseline upon gas passing t rough the same will removefrom the gas by condensation and precipitatioirall 5 moisture carried by the gas. The gas in its passage through the Vaseline forms an emulsion therewith, and upon the separation of the gas from the emulsion all moisture which has been condensed will be precipitated and 40 the .vaseline saturated with the impurities which it has removed from the gas. Upon supersaturation of the Vaseline the water precipitated. will carry with it the excess of saturation. The more rapidly the gas is passed through the Vaseline or other depurant the more efliciently will it act upon the gas and a more intimate emulsion will, although not more lasting, be formed. I

The water a1 id impurities precipitated may time to time by petcocks or other means, or a column of liquid contained in a tube may be utilized for balancing the normal height and pressure of the liquid in the depurator-chamber, and upon the precipitation and accumulation of a height of matter at the bottom or below the Vaseline the pressure exerted by the gas upon the surface of the Vaseline will overbalance the column of liquid and press out sufficient of the water and accumulation at the bottom of the depurator to restore the balance. The length of the column of liquid may be regulated to regulate the apparatus to fill the various requirements of the positions in which it is to be utilized.

Upon the rapid passage of the gas through the depurant and its rising therefrom and leaving the depurator-chamber by means of a pipe bubbles or viscous film will be carried by the gas into the ipe. The removal and breaking of such bubbles or viscous film has cessful carrying out of the process of purifying gas. By expanding such bubbles or Viscous film to the point where they will break and so breaking them the gas will be permitted to travel through the pipes unimpededly the gas will find lodginent in the depressed portions of the gas-pipes and form traps.

Apparatus which is capable of utilization in the carrying out of this process is shown and described in my application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 40,127, filed December 17, 1900, for depurators for acetylene and other gas and of which application the present is a division.

For the purpose of illustrating the description of the carrying out of my process practidrawings, wherein- Figure 1 shows a vertical sectional view of a form ofrapparatus which may be employed. Fig. 2 is a top view thereof.

eral way by A) are each shown as comprising a closed chamber 3, provided at its bottom or lower portion with an opening 4, communicating with a well 5, havingin its lower 7, secured to the lower side of the top plate 8 of the chamber, and surrounding hole there: in is shown a pipe 9, projecting through the opening 4 and into the well.- Located'within the pipe is shown a pipe 10, which-may slide freely up and down telescopically within the pipe, which pipe is shown as having a curved or bent-over upper end.

Entering one of the tanks is shown a feed.

portion an outlet 6, covered by a screw-cap been a problem which has impeded the sucand will not carry'with it such bubbles or viscons film, which if permitted to flow in with cally reference is had to the accompanying Depurator-chambers (designated in a gen- .pipe or supplypipe 12,; provided with a rose 13 at its lower end, which rose is toward the bottom of the tank. Leading from the top of this tank is a pipe 14, which enters the next compartment and is similarly provided at itslower end'with a rose 15, and leading from the second chamber is a pipe 16, which maytlead to another depu'rator-chamber or may lead'ofi" to some storing or distributing device. The pipes 14 and 16 are shown as provided'at ashort distance above the inlet portions thereof with enlargements 14 16, respecti fieiy, which. in the present instance are in the formof truncated cones set base to base.

In carrying out my process with an apparatus similar to the one shown in the draw- I ings each chamber would be nearly filled with such water of condensation will be precipirated from the gas by the depurant.

'tated and will carry with it impurities sepa- The water and impurities being heavier than the depurant will sink to the bottom'of the chamher into the well. If the flow of gas is continuous, the pressure intothe top thereofwill forcethe same through the flue and telescopic tube, which tube will have been regulated to meet a predetermined amountof pressure, the dotted lines at indicatin a ei ht to which the column might be raised for alancing the apparatus. Upon the pressure within the chamber exceeding the hydrostatic balance of the column of liquid within the tube the liquid will be forced out 45 of the tube. The tubes are shown with bent open ends, {so thatthe liquid may be carried away or caught by some convenient means.

If the generation ofgas is spasmodic or occurs at intervals, the precipitate from each passe e of gas W1ll be thrown out from the chain er upon the subsequent generation ofgas. The gas will pass from the first depuratorchamber through the pipe 14 to the next depurator-chamber, and the enlargement therein will expand and break bubbles or viscous film carried by the gas and return the substance of such bubbles or film back to the depurator-charnber. .The gas may be passed from the first chamber immediately to the source of utilization, or it may pass on throughthe pipe 14 into the second chamber, and whatever impurities escape removal in the first chamber are there removed.

, For certain purposes it may be desirable to pass the gas from the second dcpuratoi" into the third or fourth chamber, or it may be do sired to pass it on to the oint of utilization. The pipe leadin from t e second chamber will e provide with means whereby the bubbles or viscous film will be expanded and broken."

I have shown for the purpose of explaining my invention a form of apparatus with which the invention may be carried out, yet I do not limit myself to the employment of such apparatus, as it will be ap arent that many deviations may be had,. t e purpose of the drawings being sim ly for illustration.

Having describer my invention, I claim- 1. ,The process which consists in rapidly passing gas from a generator in small streams through liquid Vaseline, thereby throwing down water from the gas and mixin the gas and Vaseline to depurate the gas an removing the water thrown down from beneath the Vaseline.

2. The process which consists in passing acetylene gas from a generator throughliquid Vaseline, thereby throwing down water carried by the gas and collecting the water below such Vaseline, automatically ejecting the water therefrom, and then passing the same gas through other liquid Vaseline,

throwing down water carried by the gas, collecting the water below sucn Vaseline, and automatically ejecting the water.

3. The process which consists in rapidly passing gas from a generator in small streams through liquid Vaseline, thereby throwing down water from .the gas and mixing the gas and Vaseline to depurate the gas, and removing the water thrown down from beneath the I Vaseline, then, assmg the same gas in small streams throng other liquid Vaseline, throwing down water from the gas and mixing the gas and vaseline to further depurate the gas, and removing the water thrown down from below the Vaseline.

4. The process which consists in rapidly passing gas in small streams through two or more vessels containing liquid Vaseline, theregas and Vaseline lo depurate the gas, and removing the water from below the vaseline.

7. The process of depuratingacetylone gas which consists in passing the gas rapidly in small streams through liquid Vaseline, draw- 'bles or film.

ing off the gas, and expanding the bubbles or film rising therewith and breaking the bub- 8. The process oi -purifying acetylene gas, which consists in passing the rapidly into a body of Vaseline then dividing out the impurities from the gas and liberating the gas from the Vaseline, precipitating the impurities, and then ejecting the impurities by the pressure of the gas.

9. The process of drying acetylene gas received in a chamber intermittently from the source of generation thereof, which consists in mixing the and the moisture carried thereby With Vaseline, then condensing and precipitating the moisture, then causing the gas toseparete from the Vaseline, then lead. ing the gas from the chamber, then expanding the bubbles carried thereby, then breaking the bubbles and returning the Vaseline from the bubbles to the chamber, and removthe precipitate from beneath the vase- 10. The process of drying acetylene gas in a chamber, which consists in mixing the gas and the moisture carried thereby with liquid Vaseline, then condensing and precipitating the moisture, then causing'the gas to separate from the Vaseline, then leading thev gas from the chamber, then ex anding the bub-1 bles carried by the gas, t en breaking the bubbles and returning the Vaseline from the bubbles to the chamber, and removing the precipitate from beneath the Vaseline by pressure of the gas.

GEORGE GREGORY SMITH. 

